SPRINGFIELD -- Spring is
the start of mosquito season. This
year, however, mosquitoes are not the only nuisances to worry about.
Ticks also could spread a potentially life threatening disease.
The Centers for Disease
Control in Atlanta issued a warning this week about the threat to dogs and
people. The CDC says populations of
the pesky bugs will likely reach an all-time high this year.
A bite from a tick
itself won't hurt but the CDC says more ticks than ever will be carrying Lyme
disease. In southwest Missouri,
that's not the only threat.
“We see ticks carry
things like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and a local illness called elickolosis,”
said Kevin Gipson, director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.
All are easily treated
with antibiotics but people often don't catch the problem soon enough.
“The more
worrisome cases are a week later, if you have high fever, feel very sick, muscle
aches, maybe a cough,” said Dr. Richard Rethorst, a Cox Urgent Care Physician.
Tick related
illnesses can be potentially deadly, not only for humans but even more so for
dogs.
“They could
transmit a disease by the time anybody has any idea something is going on,”
said Dr. Dean Rund, a veterinarian at Grant Avenue Pet Hospital.
Finding a tick on
yourself is pretty easy: just check your skin.
On dogs though, it's more difficult.
Take a comb or brush, brush upwards through your dog’s hair and check
thoroughly for any ticks hiding underneath.
“The hair is a
big attraction,” said Rund.
If you do get a
tick bite, especially if it causes a rash, it's a good idea to get to the
doctor.
“You don't want to just
ignore tick bites or think ‘I'm not going to get this,' and not take
precautions,” said Rethorst.
Preventing tick bites is
similar to preventing mosquito bites. It's
a good idea to wear light colored clothes, long sleeves and pants and, of
course, bug repellant can work wonders. As
for your dog, there are a lot of products out there to prevent ticks and fleas.
Frontline is just one example.
